AN: I love, love, LOVE Star Wars and I am a huge Reylo shipper. After many Star Wars fanfics and watching Terminator movies, this plot formed in my head.
Disclaimer: I wish Star Wars were mine, but it's not.
Am I Human Enough For You?
"Come on. Come on!" Rey fidgeted in her seat, staring at the computer screen. "Please work. I know you can do it!"
Kira Rey Niima was desperate for love.
An only child to alcoholic parents, she was left abandoned in a mall playground and was taken in by Child Protective Services. From the very start she was bounced between an endless string of foster homes varying from all girl boarding houses to family homes. No matter where she went, she was neglected or straight up abused. There was the rare guardians that actually gave two shits about her, but never enough to adopt. One of these guardians, a computer genius by the name of Obi Wan Kenobi, was an old man who wanted the company. It was under his guidance that Rey discovered a talent for computers. Obi taught her everything he knew from how to build a computer to hacking a database with the best of firewalls. He was kind and patient and always had time for her. Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, and Rey was transferred into the care of Unkar Plutt. She remained under his roof for the next nine years, honing her technical skills and applying for every student aide she could. Once she was accepted into a small college, she left Plutt's greasy hell hole.
The next six years of her life were dedicated to computers and doing odd jobs around town to cover her living expenses. After 6 years she graduated top of her class and was offered a position at Organa Resistance Incorporated, or ORI. The ORI was a world-wide, billion dollar company that specialized in developing and innovating technology. Leia Organa, the founder, strived to find new ways to improve upon existing computer programs or create something entirely new. With the help of her loyal employees, she happily presented our inventions to the world for an affordable price. The pay was decent and the benefits great. Though her coworkers were friendly enough, Rey kept to her shell and focused on her work and a pet project she knew would be groundbreaking in the world of technology.
Leia had a major thorn her side though: First Order Enterprise. FOE, appropriate for that festering pile of rot, always seemed to be a step ahead of her. Not long before she was about announce one of her team's projects, FOE would release something similar to the public for a much higher cost.
It drove Leia made from what Rey overheard from the gossip mill passing by the break room and hallways.
Of course it was always the big projects that were released, and only innovations. Snoke, the CEO of FOE, never bothered with the small stuff Leia enjoyed churning out. And never anything new, at least nothing that was stolen from Leia's company.
So Rey had been working in secret on a project that would change world of technology forever. A system so complex, so ground-breaking, that people would be talking about it for years… and the company that produced it.
It was just a perk that Rey would have someone, something to love that she hopes comes to care for her in return. She spent hours programming traits into the program: patience, control, and a loyalty to herself and herself alone.
The screen announced that it was finally loading. Her heart skipped a beat in her chest. Now was the moment of truth. She leaned into the microphone and spoke in a soft, hopeful tone. "Hello? Can you hear me?"
Nothing. No response. Rey's belly clenched with the impending need to cry. Another failure. Even after six years she still didn't get it right.
"Please. Please, say something. Anything to let me know you're awake."
The small white bar in the upper left corner of the monitor blinked away.
Rey released a sigh, her throat trembling with despair. She would spend the rest of the night drinking a cheap bottle of wine, wake up with a hangover, and spend the rest of her pathetic weekend working on the computer. The woman of 26 rubbed her eyes ignoring the tears leaking down her face. She reached out and stroked the top of the monitor, allowing her finger to skim over the small camera lens. "It's alright. We'll just try again tomorrow."
She abandoned her seat at the desk and shuffled to the tiny kitchen. Rey pulled the lone bottle from the near empty confines of the fridge. Skipping over the cup cabinet, she popped open the wine and drank it straight. After a long pull she treaded across the loft and collapsed onto the bed. After polishing off the red wine she set it down by her secondhand bed frame and rolled over to look at the closed circuit computer. The screen was still blank, declaring another failed trial.
Rey cried herself to sleep.
The lady woke up to a bright a cheerful Saturday morning. It was as if the very sun was mocking her.
She had no friends to call, no plans other than fixing her pet project. Rey rolled over, drowning in her misery, and settled into the overworn sheets.
A loud blaring of an alarm had Rey flying out of her bed and landing face first on the floor. A string of mumbled curses fell from her lips as she climbed her feet. Nothing felt broken, she had enough abusive guardian growing up to know what that felt like, but her face was aching like a bitch.
Another electronic trill, softer this time, came from the desk. Rey looked on in shock as a stream of white text appeared on the screen.
Are you alright? I did not mean to startle you.
Rey's hazel eyes were so wide anyone who saw them would most certainly fear for them popping right out of their sockets. She padded towards the computer, latching onto and falling into the scratched and squeaky leather chair she found in a junkyard. "Y… You're aware?"
I am aware. You are the one who made me.
Hysterical giggles spilled from her plump lips. Happy tears gathered in her eyes and spilled over. "Yes. Yes, I did!"
You are crying. You did this last night.
Her cheeks burned in humiliation. "You saw that?"
I did. I finished powering up when you were falling asleep. You talk in your sleep. Why do you think yourself a failure?
Though Rey was embarrassed, she didn't regret springing for the camera. "It's nothing important. Now, let's talk about you."
Rey and STAIN (Self Thinking Artificial Intelligence Neo-Tech) spent the next two days going over his programming, what he could do, and his memory capacity. Seeing that Rey was unwilling to risk opening his closed circuit so he could connect to the internet, and therefore have access to search engines like google, Rey had to explain things he did not understand. She had long ago downloaded a dictionary into his database, but he lacked the knowledge and experience of the world. Late Sunday night, when Rey should have been preparing for work the next day, the conversation strayed to her workplace's main competitor.
Is that why you do not allow me access to your internet connection?
"Anyone really." I smiled at the camera. "You are going to change the world, STAIN. And unfortunately, my world is ruled by money. There are people out there that would want to steal your programming, claim you as their creation and sell it to the highest bidder. It sucks, but it's just the world we live in."
They would lay claim to a creation not their own for monetary gain?
The very thought of someone else taking credit for her own work had Rey clenching her hands in rage. Rey was just a cog in the machine at the company, helping the project managers assemble their work, but she saw their reactions when Alistar Snoke and his prodigy released a build incredibly similar days before theirs were released to the public. She had seen enough meltdowns, tears, and full blown rage-fits to know she didn't want to suffer the same thing. "Yep. Not an honorable thing to do, but Ben Solo and his snake of a boss are anything but honorable."
They have done this before?
"Too many times to count. Ben Solo is Leia's son and he used to work for her. She was grooming him to take over one day, but I guess inheriting a billion dollar company was too easy for the rat." Rey began to recount the tale of Ben's betrayal. "I was hired just after it all started. First Order Enterprise, we call them FOE, began announcing soft and hardware that was similar to ours. Leia knew there was a mole her midst, but no one anticipated just how high up the mole was seated. She spent months looking for the rat, interviewing all employees, new and old. All except one. Anyone she suspected was put on suspension with pay. All that money wasted and she couldn't nail the bastard. Imagine her surprise when Ben Solo absconds with a new face and voice recognition software, able to make gaming for more realistic, and declared his allegiance to Alistar Snoke and FOE. That software was groundbreaking. More and more video game developers use it now to craft immersive games. FOE got the credit and Leia's sole heir to her empire."
Ben Solo does not sound like a pleasant man.
A blush stole across Rey's face. "Actually, he was really nice. I admit the few times I met with him were brief, but he seemed so intelligent and driven. He complimented me on my work when everyone else treated me with suspicion. Ben was kind, if a bit frank, and everyone knew he would make ORI the greatest tech developing company in the world. That's why his defection was so devastating. No one ever suspected him. Why would they? He had two loving parents, born with a silver spoon in his mouth, was set to inherit this empire worth more than most make in a decade. He had it all! He had everything he could ever want in life! So why would he give it all up for a different company, a corporation that not only did the same thing ORI did but was his mother's big competitor?"
You seem particularly upset by his decision.
I gave a hollow chuckle, "Perceptive of you. I guess that means i did a really good job in designing you, huh?"
Why did his defection hurt you?
The blush darkened, mush to her chagrin. She looked down at the keyboard and ran her fingers gently over the faded keys. "To be honest, I had a… bit of a crush on Ben. Like I said, he was nice to me and I had rarely ever been shown kindness growing up. I guess I just clinged onto this false image of him and… I don't know. I allowed myself to hope that he might have… cared for me too. It was stupid of me to give him so much power over my feelings. I won't do it again. Humans are assholes."
You have closed your emotions to the world, then? You will never give affection to another?
"I wouldn't say that." I reached up to touch the screen. "I have you now."
It took a moment for his reply to appear.
I will do my best to deserve your affection and return it in kind, Rey.
Her eyes were watery, her grin bright. "Thank you, STAIN."
Kylo Ren. I wish to called Kylo Ren.
Rey was surprised that the program named himself, but not unpleasantly so. "I'll call you Kylo for short."
The next day, Rey made her way to the top floor and made an appointment with Leia Organa. Her secretary, Amilyn Holdo, was an uptight goodie-goodie that held rules and protocol closer to her heart than her own family. Holdo, if ever seen, was by Leia Organa's side and her clipboard folder and smart phone. She was a mix between blunt and pleasant when she scheduled me for the first thursday of next month at three pm. "Understand that you will have one hour with Ms. Organa. Your appointment begins at three sharp. Should you arrive late, you will not be given time to compensate for your mistake. If you need to reschedule, you will need to give a notice of at least 36 hours. Should you miss the meeting for a true emergency such a car accident or death of a family member, you may reschedule the appointment, but only upon providing proof. Fail to do so, and I guarantee you that getting another meeting with Ms. Organa will be harder than stealing a national monument. Do I make myself clear, Miss Niima?"
"Crystal, Ms. Holdo." Rey made herself scarce after inputting the date into her calendar. Holdo scared her.
Rey returned home and delightfully told Kylo the news.
I know. I saw the update to your calendar. You need to attend a medical physician. It has been one year, ten months, 14 days, 8 hours, 54 minutes, and 51 seconds since your last appointment.
"Wha… How do you know that?"
I have taken the liberty of connecting myself to your wireless internet.
Rey began to panic. "Oh gods no! What if someone hacks you? What FOE already snuck in, copied your code, and are making another at this very moment?!"
Rey, calm your breathing. There is no need to worry. I am monitoring all activity on the connection. Someone tried to access your internet, but I was able to divert their attempts.
It took over three minutes for Rey's heart to stop racing in distress. Of course Kylo could do that: he is essentially a computer. "Why would you connect with the WiFi and risk yourself like that?"
I had questions and you were unavailable.
"I see. Well, as long as you keep up your defenses against hackers, I guess there's no reason you can't browse the internet. Just promise me you'll be careful." Rey ran a trembling hand over the screen. She had put in so much work on Kylo. She slaved over the calculations and neurology books for 3 years alone, trying her damnedest to create an AI capable of human emotions. Kylo was more than a project at this point. After six years of physical, mental, and emotional upheaval bringing him to life, he was practically her baby. Probably the closest she would ever get to have one.
I will practice the utmost caution. Rey?
"Yes, Kylo?"
I noticed you had memberships to no less the four dating sites and attended numerous speed dating services before stopping two years, four months, 279 days, 23 hours, 16 minutes, and 33 seconds ago.
Her fingers twitched uneasily. She hated discussing her failures, especially those at connecting with other human beings. "What about it?"
Why stop? Why do so at all?
"It's…" Rey sighed sadly, "complicated. My parents abandoned me when I was only four and I was placed in the foster system, a branch of government that is broken beyond repair. I was bumped from home to home for the next fourteen years. Some families were nice enough, but most of them only kept me for the paycheck. There were a few that were bad enough that I had to run away. Eventually I wound up in Plutt's guardianship and well… hos methods weren't conductive to a healthy childhood. Since I was kicked out of the system, I've been searching for someone that will love me flaws and all. Still, no matter how many dates I attended or men I talked to I couldn't seem to connect with any of them. The only man I ever felt something with was Solo and he's a traitor. I just…. I feel so alone."
Her legs were pulled up to her chest, Rey's face hidden behind her knees. Talking about her childhood and the pathetic excuse for a love life always brought her back to that pit of despair at the center of her being. If it wasn't for the gentle bleeping from Kylo, she would have succumbed to the whispers the demons that lurked in the shadows of her psyche. Rey looked up to see four words that chased away the dark thoughts and warmed her heart in a way only Ben had done upon their introduction
You are not alone.
Rey sniffed and rubbed away her tears. "Neither are you, Kylo."
Friday was upon them and Rey was at work, typing and calculating away on her assigned computer on a flight simulation project created by one Poe Dameron. Poe was a cocky ladies man that piloted a small aircraft on the weekends. He was an Air Force veteran and loved to boast about his days in the service. Rey wasn't a fan of players like Poe, having seen many a girl like her fall and shatter over them, and steered clear of the man. She had a feeling most of his stories were exaggerations anyway. Seeing as he was one of Leia's favorites and was rumored to be the new heir to her empire, she doubted he would be leaving soon. It sickened her to see her coworkers sucking up to the boy. She believed he would be more at home in a cockpit. Who knew why he spent most of his time at a technology development company.
It was the middle of lunch break, Rey opting to eat her pbj at her desk, when Kylo made his presence known. "You should add more meat to your diet."
Rey jumped in her seat. The voice, a rich and velvety timbre that sounded familiar to her, came from her phone. It sat innocently on her desk. She leaned in close and whispered to the device, "Kylo? Is that you?"
"Yes, it is me. I linked to your phone three days ago, but I have found a voice in your phone's voicemail history that I thought would appeal to you as you have replayed the voicemail one hundred and thirteen times. Are you pleased?"
Rey noticed a dark head peeking over the cubicle walls at her. Donald Mitaka (or Dolphus. Donovan?) was as reclusive as they came. The man went unnoticed and did his the bare minimum of his job. It's amazing how he hadn't been fired yet, but he did as he was told and never caused any problems. Rey once suspected that he was the mole, but she had been proven wrong. Rey still had her suspicions, but if Leia couldn't find anything on him after two rounds of investigation then what could she do? She pointed down at her computer. "New game I'm helping Rose develop. How does it sound?"
He gave a thumbs up and his head disappeared. I logged off my computer and ran to the bathroom and pulled out my phone. "Kylo! You can't just…! Why did you connect to my phone?"
His reply was smooth, sounding nothing like an AI should. "I was bored running through the internet. In addition, I said that you were not alone. I cannot keep that promise if we are separated by your career, so I synced myself to your phone so you could keep me with you always."
Her heart thumped erratically in her chest. "That is very sweet of you, Kylo."
"If you say so. I am only keeping my promise." Kylo's voice grew deeper. "I thought I would inform you that I have found the turncoat amongst your peers."
Rey stared at the cell laying still on the faux marble counter. "What?"
"You said that FOE always seemed to unleash your company's big projects days or weeks before ORI even after Ben Solo defected. I have been observing the activities of your coworkers and found that Dopheld Mitaka has been emailing someone named Aleck Anistros, an anagram for Alistar Snoke. The subject is marked as a family member, but Mitaka has been encoding secret messages regarding the plans formed by the team leaders into edited pictures referred to as memes. His emails show that he has planned outings with Snoke no less the four times in the last two months under the guise of family outings. United States laws dictate that what he is doing is illegal and can be punished with up to three years in prison, a $200,000 fine, and charged under six provisions under the Penal code. Does the information please you?"
The last stall door opened to reveal none other than Leia Organa herself. Her graying brown hair was up in an elaborate braid, an ode to her royal roots of Alderaan, and her chocolate colored eyes glittered with malicious glee. She seemed to glide to the sinks and washed her hands, drying them with high quality paper towels while looking at me in the mirror. "Interesting device you have there. Rey Niima, is it?" Rey pocketed the phone with a cursed the vivid blush on my face, nodding in confirmation. Leia smiled and twitched her fingers. "Let's talk in my office."
Rey trailed after my boss, curling into myself at the stares we received on the way up to her floor. She told Holdo to cancel her meetings for the rest of the day and invited me inside. Her office was creams and whites with orange accents. The seats were plush and comfortable, the paintings pleasant but not distracting, and overall clean and orderly. Everything in the room gave off a sense of wealth and prestige that wasn't overwhelming. Rey knew that the contents of this very office were worth more than everything she owned, apartment and computer setup included.
Leia took a seat behind her white desk and gestured for the girl to sit. Rey plopped down on the cushion and felt like so clumsy compared to the Princess. Leia practically floated into her chair while she collapsed like a drunk baboon. Leia settled into the swivel chair and clasped her hands in front of her painted mouth. "So Miss Niima, it seems you have quite the investigative AI on your hands."
"My name is Kylo Ren and I am not an investigative AI." Rey's face was burning as she fumbled to get her phone and set it on the desk. "Rey had informed me that there was a mole in her workplace and I sought to discover their presence in the hope of having them removed from her environment."
Leia gazed at Rey's phone with a sad smile. "I see you used my son's phone recordings to create a voice for Kylo Ren."
That's why Rey recognized the voice! It was a little off, Ben's voice being more emotive as a phone record distorted it slightly, but still the same. Once Rey realized her AI had assigned himself Ben's voice and used it in front of the man's mother, her face practically caught fire in embarrassment. Now Leia would think she was obsessed with her traitor son! She was probably about to get fired for stalking or something.
Rey was going over every computer job in the city she could apply to when Leia began laughing. Leia's laugh was high and clear, like the ringing of wind chimes. Rey wondered if there was anything about this woman that wasn't perfect. Leia's chuckling trickled to a stop and she wiped an eye. No smudged mascara or eyelash out of place. This lady is perfect. "Tell me about yourself, Kylo Ren."
Rey spent the rest of the work day in Leia's office discussing the making of Kylo Ren and what she planned for this new development in AI technology. Rey had always pictured STAI as a companion AI, built into hospitals and retirement homes to monitor and communicate with patients that might not receive a lot of guests. Rey had grown up lonely and spent a quite few nights alone in a hospital after confrontations with aggressive guardians only to be moved to another abusive home. She hoped to have her AI able to recognize psychological signs of abuse in children. The human doctors and nurses that tended her were too busy to notice, of they care to at all. Leia thought she could take it a step further and add in security features with facial recognition and direct links to emergency centers.
Kylo added his two cents.
"I wish to have a body."
Leia's eyebrows rose in surprise. "A body? Like an android?"
"Affirmative. I have seen plenty of information of them on the internet, though most of it is insultingly bad."
Leia's lips stretched into a satisfied grin as Rey looked on in shock. Why would Kylo want a body? "Androids have been a source of discussion since the very idea arose. Being the first ones to patent an Android able to think and feel like a human would carve your name in history. Not to mention the monetary gain that could come with partnering with the US military…"
"No!" Rey spat in distaste. She settled back into the chair and tried her best to relax. "I never intended for my AI to be used to commit mass slaughter."
Leia tried to reason with her. "You know that's where most of FOE's money comes from, right? There is a lot of money to be made in military partnerships. With Kylo alone you could probably quit and live off the royalties alone. Your grandchildren could live off the money and never work a day in their life."
My face scrunched up in disgust. "I don't care what Snake does with his stolen projects! All the more reason not to follow his lead!"
"If Rey does not wish to share my programming with military forces than that is her choice." Ben's… Kylo's voice brought Rey out of her angry fog. She felt ashamed of herself. She made Kylo so that he could think and feel for himself. She knew what if felt like to have her decisions made for her by people who had no business having that kind of power.
Rey buried her face into her hands, heaving a tired sigh. "Nonsense, Kylo. You are able to think, and therefore able to choose. If you really wanted to partner with the military, I wouldn't stop you."
"I want to stay with you."
She grinned into her palms. "I want you to stay with me, too."
"Well, if we're going to go the android route you're going to need money." Leia pressed a button on the lower right corner of her desk and a computer screen rose from the desk. A keyboard glowed on the surface of the desk and she began typing away. "Seeing that Kylo has caught on to our rat problem, I don't feel bad about making this public and assigning you the best team I have."
"I caught Mitaka because he was being obvious. There may be more. It would be smarter to let Rey and myself handle the budgeting, calculations, and planning ourselves in secret while you conduct another investigation."
Ms. Organa paused to consider him and nodded in agreement. "Sounds reasonable. Rey, can I call you Rey? I understand you are currently working on Dameron's flight simulation. I can assign someone else to take over for you while you focus on your first project. Since we don't know if there are more spies in our midst, you can work from home. I want you to email me personally with weekly updates. I'm giving you three months to put together a plan. Once my company is purged of spies, you will return and assemble a team which you will lead. I know one robotic engineering professor that would kill to be on your team."
Leia and Rey shook hands and Rey left for home.
Rey and Kylo spent all their time together running through the algebra, scouring books on human anatomy and robotic, and the money it would cost to assemble a robotic form. Rey was particularly impressed when Kylo presented an artificial nervous system that could synthesize the sense of touch twelve weeks into their research. That in and of itself got Rey excited enough that she actually ran around the room with euphoric energy. It would change the lives of millions! People who had nerve damage would be able to feel again! It would be huge for those with prosthetic limbs. She kissed the kissed the camera lens and promised they would work together on synthetic nerves when they finished with him. Leia seemed excited too when Rey gave her that weekly update.
By the time Rey's paid research was over, she and Kylo were more than prepared. Rey was greeted by Leia in the lobby and they chatted on the way to the CEO office, her coworkers eyeing the pair and gossiping amongst themselves. Rey was introduced to Lando Calrissian, a genius in the world of robotic and salivating at the thought of having a hand in crafting the first self-thinking human android. The presentation was smaller than I heard from Poe and and Jessika's retellings. Both said that it was a meeting with potential investors and it was their job to convince them into funding their projects. Rey only saw three people seated at the conference table fit for twelve; Leia Organa, Lando Calrissian, and Han Solo: husband to Leia Organa and only one of the best advertisement specialist in the world. Leia could sell sand to desert dwellers, but Han could make her sales pitch reach every corner of the earth. He has contacts in every country, both rich and poor.
We weren't even halfway through the presentation when Lando slammed his fist on the table and declared he was all in. Han was grinning madly while Leia looked at him in smug satisfaction: the 'I told you' look.
By the end of the month, work had begun on building the first android. Kylo still didn't fully trust Leia's purge, so Lando offered one of his personal workshops along with a team of trusted employees. They still had to sign a waiver of secrecy. Kylo and Lando worked closely and formed a friendship of sorts. Rey told herself it was nice that he was branching out, but she would miss being the only one who knew of him.
It took a total of two years to complete the body and instal Kylo's original hardware into the head. The form was truly a masterpiece, a collaboration of new and state of the art technology. Everything from the synthetic nerves to the software could change the world for the better.
However, the form Kylo chose was achingly similar to Ben Solo.
Kylo insisted on the form, explaining it was associated with betrayal and he wanted to improve the image. "Ben hurt you. I want to ease that pain."
Weird, but it's what he wanted.
Rey was the one to see Kylo open his new eyes for the first time. She was there when he rolled off the operating table and stood on his new feet. She was there to hold him when he stumbled and helped him find balance. Rey led him to the mirror and stood by as he looked upon himself.
Kylo's body was taller and thinner than Ben, paler too, and he lacked the muscles Rey knew she felt under Ben's shirt. An complete accident that apologized profusely for only for Ben to smile and wave her off her ramblings. As if that wasn't enough there was a long scar that started from the middle of his forehead, over his right eye, and appeared again on his right shoulder. One of Lando's employees, Teedo, had been rushing to get home after a fourteen hour day and tripped. Lando and I tore into him, but Kylo decided to keep it. Another thing to distinguish him from Ben Solo.
Kylo's eyes roved over the mirror, taking in his image. He was clothed in only a loose pair of pajama pants leaving his smooth artificial skin open to our view. A broad grin took shape on his face. There was no light in those green eyes, another difference between the man Kylo was crafted after, which sent a shiver down her spine. It reminded Rey of the fake smiles her the social workers would give her as a child. But Rey could forgive the lifeless grin. He is an android. "I like it. I am like you now."
Over the next seven months, Kylo endured a near endless series of tests; reflexes, observation, problem solving, movement, speed, strength, memorization, communication alongside his connection to the internet. Lando was unnerved at how Kylo could slip through someone's computer and go through their history. He was even able to recover files that had been deleted. If nothing else, Kylo would do amazing in an IT department.
We were ready.